The Opelousas courier., 1887-08-13
In THE FAMILY
A DETECTIVES STORY.

One OF the nafueSG tnlnSs In defective
life is for the officer to be obliged to re-
port on family matters. No matter how
long he has been in the business, or how
fireproof he has become, the detective
who can make a report which he knows
will break up a family and bring wretch
edness to half adozen persons, is a scarce
article. That is, he will report to his
chief verbally or by letter, and thus let
the information get to those who hunger
for it and yet dread to hear the truth.
A fair share of the detective business
of every city in the land hinges upon fam
lily matters, and the work done seldom
appears in print, or if the newspaper re-
porters get hold of the circumstance, the
particulars are kept away from them.
For a long term of years my assignments
as a detective connected with the force
in n of our large cities, were entirely
of this character, and some of the Incl
dents can be related without injury to
any ones feelings. I did not associate
with the criminal detectives at all, and
the majority of them did not know me
by name.
One morning | was sent for by the
Chief to take up a new case, and when I
entered his Office I found a lady present.
She was a woman not over % years of
age, handsome, educated, and a society
ornament. She was the second wife of
a rich old wholesale merchant whom I
will call Williams. They had been mar
ried about a year and a half, and it was
said that it was a love match. She had
come to headquarters in her own carriage
in broad daylight to tell her story to the
Chief and seek the services of a detective.
/ may tell you that I was prejudiced in
her favor from the very first glance. She
was of those women whose every
word is of interest, and whose
every gesture has a touch of art
l~essness in it. And she could
shed big tears, and catch little
sobs, and put such a look into her brown
eyes as would make even an old detec-
tive almost want to die for her. When
her story had been simmered down it
amounted to this: For some time past
she had been missing jewelry and sums
Of money. A private detective had been
employed, but: had met with no success
in discovering the thief. One robbery
included a valuable diamond ring: an
other a pair of earrings; a third the sum
of $400 in gold; a fourth the, sum of
$500 in greenbacks. About ten days
previous to her visit a package of $12, 900
had been taken from her. husbands sec
rotary, and at the same time she had
missed a diamond brooch from her dress
ing case. One of the regular detectives
had been working on this last steal for
e a week, and was still at it, although
he had thus far been unable to secure d
clue.
1t was not only natural that Mrs. Will
liams should be interested in the reeoE-
cry OF the property, but that her great
interest should lead her to call at head
quarters to consult with the chief.
In fact, her husband was con-
fined to his room by an attack Of
rn,.4 and for all xna Lran, A. A
contrary, it was by his advice that she
came. It would appear. sharper in me to
say that / suspected something wrong
from the very start, but honesty compels
me to say that I didn't. When she had
departed the chief said to me:
This looks like . very simple case,
and ! can't see why Taylor has not
up some clue. The robberies
have been perpetrated by some of the
servants, and Til give you a fortnight to
trap the guilty party
was at liberty to consult TAYLOR
The only servants who had access to the
bedroom were the ehambermaid and the
butler. This last parsonage had no right
there, Of course, but having the run OF
the house he could slip into the. room.
had suspected him, rather than
Che chambermaid, and had devoted his
whole time 10 watching the man. Moth
ing but disappointments had turned up.
SO go SA. 80
The butler hadsthe best Of recommends
ions, was without vices Of any SORT, and
. search Of his effects had brought moth
% light which could impIicafe him.
+ we agreed that should look out for
ihe ehalnberuaid, and ! put il week
The case ID find out that she also had
best Of Recommendations and that